Product comprising red clover extract and methods for producing the same

Abstract

The invention relates to a composition comprising isoflavones from red clover. The red clover extract has been fermented to obtain a composition comprising aglycone isoflavones. The fermentation is preferably performed by a lactic acid bacteria or fermented dandelion extract.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of making a composition comprising aglycone red clover isoflavones, the method comprising:
 heating red clover to a temperature in the range of 40° C. to 100° C. for at least 15 minutes; 
 compressing the heated red clover to produce a liquid red clover extract; 
 fermenting the liquid red clover extract with one or more lactic acid bacteria species at a temperature in the range of 0° C. to 30° C. for at least 2 weeks; and 
 obtaining the composition from the fermented red clover extract. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least 90% of the red clover isoflavones are in an aglycone form in the composition. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fermenting is performed at a temperature in the range of 3° C. to 10° C. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fermenting is performed at a first fermentation temperature in the range of 22° C. to 25° C. for up to 3 days and then at a second temperature in the range of 15° C. to 17° C. for at least 2 weeks. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising lowering the second temperature to a third fermentation temperature in the range of 3° C. to 5° C. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fermenting is performed at a first fermentation temperature in the range of 20° C. to 24° C. for up to 5 days and then at a second temperature in the range of 15° C. to 20° C. for at least 2 weeks. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , further comprising lowering the second fermentation temperature to a third fermentation temperature in the range of 3° C. to 5° C. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the red clover is fresh red clover. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the liquid red clover extract prior to fermenting has a total dry matter content of about 6.6% (m/m). 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a fermented dandelion extract is added to the liquid red clover extract. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fermented red clover extract has a dry matter content in the range of 3% (m/m) to 5% (m/m). 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising transferring the red clover extract obtained after fermenting to a new container at an interval in the range of 1 to 12 weeks. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fermented red clover extract has a pH in the range of about 1 to about 5. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the red clover is  Trifolium pratense, T. pratense americanum, T. pratense  frigidum,  T. pratense maritimum, T. pratense parviflorum, T. pratense sativum, T. pratense villosum , or the  T. pratense  L varieties  Rajah , Nordi, Jesper, Joioinen, or Pawera. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more lactic acid bacteria is  Lactobacillus  spp. and  Bifidobacterium  spp, or a combination of  Lactobacillus  spp. and  Bifidobacterium  spp. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising formulating the composition as a pill, capsule, gel, mixture, liquid composition, liquid mixture, or a powder. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising adding one or more of a sweetener, a carbohydrate source, a fat source, a flavouring agent, a vitamin, a mineral, an electrolyte, or a trace element to the composition. 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising adding a dandelion extract to the liquid red clover extract. 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature in the heating step is in the range of 60° C. to 100° C. 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the isoflavone in an aglycone form is selected from the group consisting of biochanin A and Formononetin, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       21. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises Formononetin and Ononin, and the content of Formononetin is at least 90% of the sum of Formononetin and Ononin. 
     
     
       22. A method of making a composition comprising Formononetin and Ononin, the method comprising:
 compressing red clover to produce a liquid red clover extract; 
 fermenting the liquid red clover extract with one or more lactic acid bacteria species at a temperature in the range of 0° C. to 20° C. for at least 2 weeks; and 
 obtaining the composition from the fermented red clover extract, which composition comprises at least 90% Formononetin compared to the sum of Formononetin and Ononin. 
 
     
     
       23. The method according to  claim 22 , wherein no lactic acid bacteria are added to the red clover extract. 
     
     
       24. A method of making a composition comprising Formononetin and Ononin, the method comprising:
 heating red clover to a temperature in the range of 40° C. to 100° C. for at least 15 minutes; 
 compressing the heated red clover to produce a liquid red clover extract; 
 fermenting the liquid red clover extract with one or more lactic acid bacteria species at a temperature in the range of 0° C. to 40° C. for at least 2 weeks; and 
 obtaining the composition from the fermented red clover extract, which composition comprises at least 90% Formononetin compared to the sum of Formononetin and Ononin. 
 
     
     
       25. The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the temperature in heating step is the range of 60° C. to 100° C.